Australian Search Engine ‘Groggle’ Gets Pushed Off The Wagon By Google

Groggle got its name from the word “grog,” Australian slang for booze. A search engine intended to help users compare alcohol prices in Australian stores easily lends itself to the “grog”-“Google” mash up, but Google didn’t seem to think it was clever. After a six-month legal battle, Google has had Groggle change it’s name. It is now Drinkle. Instead of spending the money and time on such a lawsuit, Google should have used the site to find itself a drink. BBC News reports:

An Australian hoping to quench his nation’s thirst via the web has agreed to change the name of his alcohol search site after protests from Google.

Cameron Collie set up Groggle to allow users to find the best-priced “grog” in nearby stores.

Search giant Google complained at his effort to trademark the name, prompting a six-month legal wrangle.

Now the name Groggle has been changed to a more conventional title, Drinkle, ahead of its launch in 2011. Announcing the settlement, Mr Collie, 37, said he could not disclose terms of the deal but confirmed that the name change was part of the agreement.

There was no word on whether money had changed hands, but the firm announced on Twitter that it would be celebrating with a bottle of “Australia’s most expensive beer”.